Meadows Center partners with TreeFolks for riparian assessment
Posted by Jayme Blaschke
Office of Media Relations
September 24, 2017
The Texas Stream Team, part of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, has launched a community partnership with TreeFolks to expand citizen science activities along the Blanco River and in Central Texas.
TreeFolks, based in Austin, is a non-profit that engages thousands of volunteers and community groups to plant trees in public parks, preserves and school yards.
"Fostering the connection between healthy lands and waterways is a powerful and holistic way to protect both natural systems, " Texas Stream Team Program Coordinator Jenna Walker said. "Texas Stream Team’s partnership with TreeFolks allows for an extraordinary opportunity to promote understanding of this vital concept through our common goals and varied networks. "
TreeFolks will partner with Texas Stream Team to conduct riparian evaluation trainings, water quality monitoring trainings and watershed protection efforts. TreeFolks also plans to collaborate with Texas Stream Team and The Meadows Center on other events, such as the Mermaid Society SMTX Aqua Faire.
"One of the things that we've learned over the years with our reforestation work is that partnerships make the impact greater and enhance the effects for the people that we serve, " Matt Mears, Reforestation Manager at TreeFolks, said. "We have an opportunity with The Meadows Center to enhance the Texas Stream Team by getting people connected with them who may not have otherwise, since a lot of land along the Blanco River is in private ownership."
TreeFolks focuses on the Blanco River to work with landowners, especially those affected by the 2015 Labor Day floods. Their work includes providing tree planting, one-on-one consultations, and developing written materials to educate landowners on the long-term benefits of investing in the health of our natural resources. TreeFolks empowers Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees.
The new riparian evaluation training was developed through the Your Remarkable Riparian, Third Edition, published by the Nueces River Authority. When a riparian area is healthy and functioning properly, it filters and slows runoff and floodwaters, and allows for sediment trapping and groundwater infiltration. More information about riparian trainings and other citizen scientist activities in Texas can be found on the Texas Stream Team website at joinstreamteam.org.
About The Meadows Center
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment was named following a generous gift from The Meadows Foundation in August 2012. The Meadows Center is dedicated to environmental research, stewardship, education and service, and is led by Executive Director Andrew Sansom, Ph.D.
About TreeFolks
TreeFolks empowers Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees. They engage thousands of volunteers and community groups to plant trees in public parks, preserves and school yards. TreeFolks and its partners provide free trees in urban areas.
About Texas State University
Founded in 1899, Texas State University is among the largest universities in Texas with an enrollment of 38,694 students on campuses in San Marcos and Round Rock. Texas State’s 181,000-plus alumni are a powerful force in serving the economic workforce needs of Texas and throughout the world. Designated an Emerging Research University by the State of Texas, Texas State is classified under “Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity,” the second-highest designation for research institutions under the Carnegie classification system.